14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 17-23, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com As the Monterey County Board of Supervisors was about to finally approve a new ambulance contract with American Medical Response on July 8, Chair Chris Lopez wanted to know the answers to two questions: Why were the Salinas Valley State Prison and the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad paying less than 10 percent of what ambulance rides cost; and, are the hundreds of calls out to the prison each year taking service away from South County residents? According to data provided to the Weekly by Lopez, between Jan. 1 and June 6 of this year, AMR made 406 trips from SVSP to local hospitals and billed the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation $3 million for those trips, based on rates approved by the County of Monterey in its contract with AMR. Only $288,400 was paid to AMR, or 9.6 percent. At CTF, AMR made 129 trips and billed the system $954,000. Only $86,405 was collected, or 9.1 percent. “This piece of the [county’s ambulance] system is not carrying its weight,” says Lopez, who represents District 3 which includes the South County prisons. “It’s a major concern for my communities.” Each time a new ambulance contract has come up—there have been two failed attempts since 2019 at revamping an existing contract, until this year—Lopez says he’d hear from constituents concerned about ambulance coverage and response times, especially in light of how much AMR services the prisons and the fact that South County is expected to grow in the coming years. According to AMR officials, there is no remedy for recovering more of the cost from the CDCR, citing government regulations that limit the state’s fiscal liability for reimbursements. The reimbursement rates align with a federally regulated Medicare fee schedule, based on zip codes, which has resulted in AMR being reimbursed more than 90-percent lower than the amount billed. As to whether the large amount of time spent on calls to the prison negatively impacts residents, AMR Regional Director Michael Esslinger says they take that into account. “We continually monitor the system and move resources to backfill those regions of the county as required,” he says by email. “It’s a balance of aligning resources to both call demand and surge periods.” Ambulance calls to prisons take “significantly longer due to security protocols,” Esslinger says, sometimes twice as long as non-prison calls. “AMR has been meeting with prison staff to explore ways to reduce our time on scene and to lower the overall impact of surge events,” he adds. “AMR stands committed to work collaboratively with both the prison and the [county] to examine responses and consider potential alternatives” to reduce stresses on resources. In response to the Weekly’s questions, a CDCR representative only says a third-party company, Health Net, is responsible for ambulance services. The state has been contracting with Health Net since 2010 to provide health care inside 35 prisons. Cheap Ride Questions arise over why the prison system pays less than 10 percent for ambulance services. By Pam Marino The new ambulance contract with AMR approved 5-0 by the Board of Supervisors goes into effect on Feb. 1, 2026 and continues through 2032, with a possible extension to 2037. NEWS “It’s a balance of aligning resources.” JOEL ANGEL JUÅAREZ MLS GO Recreational League! Join the MLS GO Recreational League for an unforgettable soccer experience where every child has the chance to shine and grow! U4 – U14 Co-ed Fall 25 Season Details: Begins Tuesday, August 12th – October 12th. $85 registration ends August 12th. Use Coupon: MCW for 10% off! montereycondorsclub.com Join the MLS GO Recreational League for an unforgettable soccer experience, where every child has the chance to shine and grow! U4–U14 Co-ed Fall 25 Season Details: August 12th–October 12th $85 registration— ends August 12th Use Coupon: MCW for 10% off! MLS GO Recreational League MLS GO Recreational League! Join the MLS GO Recreational League for an unforgettable soccer experience where every child has the chance to shine and grow! U4 – U14 Co-ed Fall 25 Season Details: Begins Tuesday, August 12th – October 12th. $85 registration ends August 12th. Use Coupon: MCW for 10% off! montereycondorsclub.com World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area July Event The Breadth of U.S. – China Relations Wednesday, July 30 Michael Ipson International Banker (retired) The U.S.-China relationship faces major challenges as the two nations pursue their respective objectives. Comments in the press are often erroneous and various aspects of the relationship do not get the attention they deserve. In this illustrated presentation Michael Ipson provides an up-to-date outline of the complexities of interactions between the United States and China www.wacmb.org or call (831) 643-1855 5:30pm Registration • 6pm Dinner • 6:45pm Speaker Presentation Reservations Required • Deadline is Wednesday, July 23 $45 for members • $55 for guests - WACMB will accept auditors to this event Hilton Garden Inn, Aguajito Road, Monterey Visit our website www.wacmb.org for information and reservations carmel plaza carmel-by-the-sea 8106 new arrivals carmel-by-the-sea sport coats soft coats outerwear trousers knitwear shirting
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